Nikola Vucevic scored 24 points, and the Chicago Bulls managed to hold off the Toronto Raptors for a 122-121 victory on Monday night.
Chicago had a 16-point lead but watched it shrink to just one point in the fourth quarter.
Coby White added 19 points for the Bulls, who have now won two games in a row. Josh Giddey contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists before leaving the game with an ankle injury in the third quarter.
Ayo Dosunmu scored 12 points, Talen Horton-Tucker added 15 points off the bench, and Jalen Smith and Julian Phillips each scored 10 points.
RJ Barrett scored 19 of his 32 points in the first half for the Raptors, who have lost five straight games. Gradey Dick scored 27 points, Ochai Agbaji added 15 points, Chris Boucher chipped in 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamal Shead finished with 10 points.
Jakob Poeltl had six points before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter due to a groin injury.
Chicago led 33-25 after the first quarter and 53-50 at halftime.
The Bulls started the third quarter with a 10-3 run, but Toronto answered with six straight points. Chicago extended their lead to 11 on Lonzo Ball’s 3-pointer with 6:18 left in the third.
After a missed shot from Toronto, Vucevic made a hook shot to increase the lead to 13 with 5:48 remaining in the third. Giddey left the game with a right ankle injury with 4:49 left after committing a foul while sliding into Dick, who was attempting a 3-pointer.
The Bulls led 95-84 after three quarters.
Chicago began the fourth quarter with five straight points. Toronto cut the lead to six with 6:07 to play, thanks to Dick’s 3-pointer. The Raptors then cut the lead to one with Barrett’s hook shot with 2:28 left.
White scored a layup with 53 seconds left, and after a missed shot from Toronto, Ball made a 3-pointer at 1:08 to give the Bulls a 119-113 lead.
Dick hit another 3-pointer, but Vucevic responded with a hook shot to extend the lead to five with 14 seconds remaining. Shead hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it wasn’t enough, as Toronto lost by one point.
Bulls leading scorer Zach LaVine (back spasms) did not play in the game.
